Baja Sauce

Posted November 19th 2010 at 2:02 pm by Milk & Honey Mommy

Let me start this off by saying, “Taco Bell saved my life.” I know fast food isn’t really good for you, but when you’re suffering endless mornings, mid-days, and evenings with morning sickness and you finally find something that brings a reprieve, although brief, then you are likely to make statements like that one. Nope, I’m not pregnant now, but I was one, two, three times and during my third pregnancy, I spent about two months eating Taco Bell food. (Nope! Taco Bell ain’t paying me a “thang.” This is just fact.)

It calmed my stomach, made me feel like a normal person again, was affordable, and anything that didn’t make my stomach turn (which it didn’t) was some darn good food. Just like anything good, after feeling like I found gold, and believing the next seven months would be a breeze because the morning sickness was gone (thanks to Taco Bell), my body caught up with my cure and the morning sickness returned. It was good while it lasted.

The dawn of a new day. It has been almost three months since I last went to a fast food restaurant and I’m kind of liking the trend I’m setting. Despite this, old cravings still stir inside me every once in a while and I got the taste for some Taco Bell. After intense right-brain, left-brain conversation (can they talk to each other?) and a few hours of deep analysis with myself – this time verbal, I came to the conclusion that it isn’t really Taco Bell food that I like but rather it is their sauces.

So, after searching online because you can find everything there, this recipe is what I found. You know, if I close my eyes, then I can almost imagine me standing in line just about to place my order. I think during that moment, my mouth watered. This sauce is the magic sauce. It is really what I have been missing whenever I make our burritos at home.

I use a blender when making this recipe, but a bowl and a spoon will do just fine. Plop the mayonnaise into the blender cup. I add the mayonnaise first so there is a sense of liquid near the blade to help everything mix better.

The bell pepper is next. If you decide to use a bowl and spoon, then you need to chop the pepper more fine than the chunks shown here.

The same thing goes for the onions. If you don’t use a blender or food processor, then chop the onion more fine.

I use regular white vinegar, but I bet it would have an interesting flavor is an apple vinegar or some other variety is used. Let me know if you try something different.

Add the black pepper.

The garlic powder is next.

I like cumin. Cumin is my friend. I use cumin in a lot of the foods we eat like in these wraps and in this soup which is not a bad idea now that the weather is getting colder.

Now that everything is added, get the blender going and watch magic being made right before your eyes.

This sauce has been used on our burritos taking them from simple to really, really delicious, as a dip for chips, and River has also used it as a sauce for his pasta. I’m not so sure about using it as a pasta sauce, but he loves it. What did I tell you? It’s magic!

Adapted from an All Recipes recipe.

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup red bell pepper
2 TBS. onion
1 TBS vinegar

1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cumin

1. Dice your pepper and onions and set aside.
2. Add the mayonnaise first in the bowl of a blender (or food processor).
3. Combine the red bell pepper, onion, vinegar, black pepper, garlic powder, and cumin into the blender.
4. Blend well until the mixture becomes “saucy looking.”
5. The sauce is ready to eat.

Tip: This can be prepared one, two, three, etc. days ahead of use. I store any leftover in a jar and it lasts for a couple of weeks.

Sauce, check. Pound cake recipe: check…I have searched all over and cannot find the recipe for those lovely cinnamon rolls on your header… Are you holding out? smiles…

Gina,

Patience is a virtue. Hey, I don’t do too well w/patience myself. Anyway, holding out is kind of mean :-)! So I’ll have the recipe coming next year, next month, January 2011. I hope you are strong enough to wait because they’re worth it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am 8 weeks pregnant and plagued with morning sickness so bad it made me cry most days. It has been 2 weeks since I have had a decent night sleep or could eat a meal with my husband without getting ill. I started getting cravings for Taco bell a few days ago, but since i have spent the better part of the last 2 years buying only local and organic food, I really didn’t want to start eating fast food. I finally decided my cravings were to great to deny. Just a simple soft taco (drenched in their mild border sauce) calmed my stomach and gave me a renewed sense of hope.

I bought a taco ten pack so that I can snack throughout this weekend. I have never been a fan of their baja sauce, but I could eat a soup bowl full of their mild (or salsa verde) sauce. This post has truly made me feel less crazy and more like a normal person with a saucy taco baby on the way! Thanks!

Joanie,

I think I understand you right that you bought a ten pack from Taco Bell. Since I lived 45 minutes away from the nearest Taco Bell, on a few occasions, I started buying more food so I could save it at home and eat it throughout the week. Don’t worry, you are far from crazy and if anyone says you are, then just blame it on the pregnancy. It will be interesting to see if your baby is partial to Mexican food and also if your Taco Bell eating ways continue after the saucy baby is born.

I hope you have found a lasting cure for the morning sickness because I remember how bad it can get. Just keep thinking about the beautiful blessing of a baby you’ll be seeing in about seven more months.